FIA race director Niels Wittich at theF1 Grand Prix of Bahrain - Previews (Source: Getty)
The FIA race director Niels Wittich has stepped down with immediate effect and will be replaced by Rui Marques in the F1 Las Vegas GP. In a decision that comes as a surprise to many, the German is moving from his current position to pursue new opportunities.
Wittich became the race director after the 'AD 2021' scandal involving Michael Masi. The Australian courted a lot of controversy and online hate when he made the call in the 2021 title decider to bring the safety car in on the final lap and go racing. The move left Lewis Hamilton on the backfoot against Max Verstappen, who had fresh soft tires.
As a result, the Dutch driver capitalized on the restart and overtook the Mercedes driver to win the race. The title-deciding move led to Masi's departure, with Niels Wittich replacing him as the FIA race director.
